More Absolute shenanigans...this time involvling Phil H...
 

From :

Are You CEREUS?
If you play online poker, you're aware that there have been some... problems... at AbsolutePoker and UltimateBet. You're also probably aware that those two sites recently merged into some uber-entity called CEREUS. It would seem that the merge has not gone as smoothly as AP/UB would have hoped. 2+2 gives us the following thread:



Cliff notes: Playing heads-up $200-$400 limit hold'em, Phil Hellmuth calls down with 2s-10s on a board of Js-Kc-Kh-2h-9c, gets shown Kd-Qh, and somehow collects the pot despite tabling the second best hand.

UltimateBet's COO, Paul Leggett, posted the following to the today:

Earlier today we learned about a poker hand where our system paid out the losing player instead of the correct winning hand. The hand number is #1162170993.

We are investigating this software malfunction as our absolute top priority.

This is the first incident of this kind we have encountered.

We are currently examining the poker system and the application logs in order to pinpoint the cause of this malfunction.
Not exactly confidence-inspiring, is it?

It's odd that Leggett chooses not to acknowledge that the losing player is one of the paid spokespeople for the site. I don't believe anyone would be stupid enough to cheat in this way, but given their recent problems, and by not acknowledging the well-known fact that Hellmuth was the recipient of the mis-awarded pot, UB/AP/CEREUS look like they're trying to hide something.

This isn't the first time a site has mis-awarded a pot. There have been problems in the past with non-hold'em games on sites like BetFair and AbsolutePoker. It does seem to be the first time it's ever happened in hold'em, which could just make it another curious footnote in the strange tale of UltimateBet.

Time will tell.

Well this is going to happen as they have rolled out new software, glitches are gonna appear.

They probably rolled out the software too early but it is a knee jerk reaction to the fact that cryptologic network is closing down and moving business to the boss network, this has resulted in 2 major skins on crypto WilliamHill and SunPoker moving to ipoker and thus is gonna probably make ipoker the second biggest poker site/network overall as at times there traffic surpasses FTP even without having american traffic.

UB/AP/Cereus are falling behind as they lost alot of support with the previous problems. As far as other sites are concerened who the hell knows whats going on, betfair have employed Sorel "Imper1um" Mizzi who has admitted cheating and been banned from FTP permantely and banned from PS for a few month's.

God knows whats gonna happen in online poker in 2009. such dramaments.

I understand there will be glitches, but it just so happens to your #1 spokesperson who mucks and STILL wins a pot??? Something does not seem right.

Fuck ub/ultimate !!!! You'd have to be crazy to play/support those fuckers !!! Stick to pokerstars and fulltilt!! IMO

In the current climate with so many eyes on UB/AP and all the different ways to publicise it using forums blogs etc. do you really think hellmuth would put his reputation on the line in such a open and blatant way? We all have seen his whinning and bitching about how he should win tournaments, but a 11 time bracelet holder winning a $5000 pot to rob someone, think about it.

its a software glitch.

With their public image being beaten and bruised, I think they missed a good PR op here. People are likely to accept the whole glitch sitch, but I want to see an indignant and cocky PH come out, all offended at being shipped the pot.

Something like... "This is ridiculous. Do you know how good I am? I don't need some computer glitch to break these donkeys. These players are so bad anyways, it is like they are trying to give their money away to me. The whole situation is insulting to me. I mean, I am the best Hold'em player in the world, and I am going make sure this gets sorted out so that they can back to losing their money to me straight up."

Yeah, If I was an UB/AP player, that would make me feel more confident in the diligence of the site. ;)

Invig, that actually did sound just like PH, are you and him the same person?

Has anyone on the forum seen Invig and Hellmuth in the same room at the same time? If not then Invig is infact Hellmuth lol.

I definitely don't think Hellmuth had anything to do with it, but his attitude after it happened certainly doesn't help the situation.

Seriously though, after everything that's gone on, how do they continue to run? I've never played at UB, and haven't played on AP except a handful of times a few years back. Do they have a decent player base still?

I dont play on either of them aswell but now they have a combined player pool I think they still have respectable traffic numbers which they deffinately shouldn't.

Problem is that poker players want to play poker, so anywhere that facilitates that will get business, us who are strong willed and taking the moral high ground may actually be loseing money because of it?

Wow
 

Hard to know all the facts, but this does seem pretty huge. HH seems legit, and Absolute seems to be semi-acknowledging it



Tons of speculation about whether this was another case of cheating or a malfunction. Either way, it is tremendously damaging to a company still reeling from a huge scandal. I hope, but doubt, that if proven true, this is the end of them.

Side note: I'd pay $5 a month for a subscription service that provided accurate, concise summaries of massive 2+2 threads.

Thanks. I was rather proud of that one.

Official statement/coverage
 

Software error. Got to figure if it wasn't involving Phil it never would have been caught. Very damaging for credibility.

If only the games werent amazing there :(

i had that problem. I used to only play UB/PS in that order, as i found the games and tourneys at UB were so soft. Im glad in the end i cashed out before this mega-shitstorm flew up.

But thinking about it, the people who ae left playing there must be crazy, so im contemplating taking a risk and going back

I think it will take a whole year of no problems and dramas before I consider putting money on UB/AP, shame really as I still have an active bonus to clear on UB and AP was the site I played my first real money games.

UltimateButt .... Site is a breeding ground for terrible poker players and for there support .. well lets just leave it at PUKEEEEEE